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The main bug is not being able to download and watch VOD content without constant random pausing/skipping. If your not ordering any other DVRs with it then you have to deal with the problem until they fix it which could be months. The solution currently is to download the VOD from another DVR then watch via MRV on the 34 and it works fine, personally I don't have another HR2X series DVR so I am stuck dealing with this problem...

Pretty sure it won't take months from now...

Even still, that alone is not something that would ever make me choose a 2 tuner DVR over a 5 tuner DVR, especially knowing that won't be a problem for long...

Thanks for all of the helpful information. After reading your comments, I decided to go with the HR34 so on Sunday evening I called directv and ordered an HR34. I just didn’t want to go with the luck of the draw with my new HD DVR. The HR34 cost to me an extra $99 + tax.

I called the installation number and changed the installation to Tuesday Sept. 18 so I would have more time to prepare my house for the installation. The dish will be mounted on the ground near the street running in front of my house. I need to clean up the area so the installer has an easy time putting in a pole is needed to get clear access to the satellites and cabling running from the dish to the house.

I have a few new questions and I do appreciate your tips and recommendations as to what I should consider.

Can the directv installer also download the latest software update for the HR34 as part of the installation? I usually update any new equipment to the latest software version immediately after installation. I would also like to see the steps involved in the software updating process.

Will installing the latest software update all direcctv equipment such as my HR34 and the 2 HD receivers or are there different software updates for different equipment?
I expect the Cinema Connection Kit becomes involved in software updates. My wi-fi network has a random 63 character (numbers and both upper and lower case letters) passphrase and I am not looking forward to manually entering it using a TV remote (I use cut and paste when a computer needs the passphrase).

My basement has a drop ceiling so I can move ceiling tile around and run cable to all of the rooms in my house. My cable company ran cable to several rooms that do not have TVs in them right now such as a spare bedroom. I have used TVs in these rooms in the past. My order has 3 TVs in it in 3 different rooms. Will the installer run cable in the ceiling (or leave extra cable in the ceiling) for possible expansion into more than 3 rooms?

The cable company ran the cable from the street into my utility room in the basement (using the drop ceiling) and branched cable to all other rooms from that single location. All the splitters are in the utility room for easy access. Can I expect the directv installer to follow this type of layout?

The cable company put in a cable TV amplifier in the cable structure to increase the signal level for traveling an extended distance (my guess is the longest cable run is about 80 feet). Is signal strength over an extended distance an issue with directv?

Thanks for all of the helpful information. After reading your comments, I decided to go with the HR34 so on Sunday evening I called directv and ordered an HR34. I just didn’t want to go with the luck of the draw with my new HD DVR. The HR34 cost to me an extra $99 + tax.

I called the installation number and changed the installation to Tuesday Sept. 18 so I would have more time to prepare my house for the installation. The dish will be mounted on the ground near the street running in front of my house. I need to clean up the area so the installer has an easy time putting in a pole is needed to get clear access to the satellites and cabling running from the dish to the house.

I have a few new questions and I do appreciate your tips and recommendations as to what I should consider.

Can the directv installer also download the latest software update for the HR34 as part of the installation? I usually update any new equipment to the latest software version immediately after installation. I would also like to see the steps involved in the software updating process.

Will installing the latest software update all direcctv equipment such as my HR34 and the 2 HD receivers or are there different software updates for different equipment? I expect the Cinema Connection Kit becomes involved in software updates. My wi-fi network has a random 63 character (numbers and both upper and lower case letters) passphrase and I am not looking forward to manually entering it using a TV remote (I use cut and paste when a computer needs the passphrase).

My basement has a drop ceiling so I can move ceiling tile around and run cable to all of the rooms in my house. My cable company ran cable to several rooms that do not have TVs in them right now such as a spare bedroom. I have used TVs in these rooms in the past. My order has 3 TVs in it in 3 different rooms. Will the installer run cable in the ceiling (or leave extra cable in the ceiling) for possible expansion into more than 3 rooms?

The cable company ran the cable from the street into my utility room in the basement (using the drop ceiling) and branched cable to all other rooms from that single location. All the splitters are in the utility room for easy access. Can I expect the directv installer to follow this type of layout?

The cable company put in a cable TV amplifier in the cable structure to increase the signal level for traveling an extended distance (my guess is the longest cable run is about 80 feet). Is signal strength over an extended distance an issue with directv?

As always, your comments and suggestions are appreciated.Terry

Software updates are automatic you don't need to worry about that. If a newer version is in the stream it will update it.

The installer may be able to tie into your existing wires but only he'll be able to tell you for sure. Technicians get paid by the job not the hour so if it's up to spec and is easier he will do it. If the cable is not up to spec though he will not be able to use it and have to run new lines.

Any RF signal is impacted by distance so depending on how long the run is from your pole to the house and then the internal lines are you may need to look at amps which is not something DIRECTV will provide. If you can post the length that the trench will be and then the distance of your lines inside it will give us a better idea.

DIRECTV does not future proof installations so they'll only install what is necessary to get your 3 TV's going. They will not, and should not, connect your other rooms as this would also impact your signal strength depending on splitters used.

Another factor is where the ground is for your house as well. DIRECTV will have to have the system grounded so they'll run a line to the ground. The easiest way to find it is to look to see where your cable is grounded. They'll put a grounding block there. So the distance from the dish to there is important and then from there to the inside.

Looks like you're on the right track, and you sound very much like the kind of guy who would enjoy and add to the CE program. There are guidelines and so forth, but it's where we get together to test and report on new software.

In the meantime, fire away with questions. I have a new HR34 and will be joining the testing starting tomorrow.

I just ran a tape and found the spot in which the pole will probably be placed is 52 feet from the corner of my garage. The distance across the garage to the attached house is about 30 feet. The distance from where the line will enter the house to the utility room is 32 feet with another 13 feet to get to the far end of the utility room.

The total distance is 114 feet from the pole to entering the utility room and 127 feet to the far end of the utility room. Comcast entered the house in the utility room and I expect they grounded their cabling at that point. Directv is coming from the opposite side of my property to get to the utility room.

Hope that helps in any calculations. I would think the directv's first opportunity to ground the system is when they enter the garage (non-heated garage) 52 feet from the pole.

That's awfully far. How long the run can be depends partly on how many legs there are and how long each leg is. A primitive guideline might be that total wire consumed by the downlead and all legs must be less than 300'.

VOS had a handy chart that gives a better picture of what's going on in terms of combinations of lengths.

Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought. -- JFK

I just ran a tape and found the spot in which the pole will probably be placed is 52 feet from the corner of my garage. The distance across the garage to the attached house is about 30 feet. The distance from where the line will enter the house to the utility room is 32 feet with another 13 feet to get to the far end of the utility room.

The total distance is 114 feet from the pole to entering the utility room and 127 feet to the far end of the utility room. Comcast entered the house in the utility room and I expect they grounded their cabling at that point. Directv is coming from the opposite side of my property to get to the utility room.

Hope that helps in any calculations. I would think the directv's first opportunity to ground the system is when they enter the garage (non-heated garage) 52 feet from the pole.

I think you will be ok, maybe vos can narrow that down for you. About how far form the utility room to the rooms where the receivers will all be?

I have a total distance of about 180 feet on several of my boxes, and I have no issues.

That's awfully far. How long the run can be depends partly on how many legs there are and how long each leg is. A primitive guideline might be that total wire consumed by the downlead and all legs must be less than 300'.

VOS had a handy chart that gives a better picture of what's going on in terms of combinations of lengths.

I can’t do anything about the 52 feet from the dish location to the garage but once inside the garage, I don’t have to go all the way to the opposite side of my house to the utility room.

Since I have a drop ceiling in my entire basement, I could locate a splitter in my basement ceiling near the center of my house about 102 feet from the dish (52 feet to garage + 30 feet across garage to get inside the house + 20 more feet to a reach a central location in my home). I could then have 3 cable runs from the central location of the splitter of 25 feet, 30 feet and the longest run of 35 feet to my reach my 3 TVs. Would that be OK?

I would get a drawing up here so we can see better options. However I think you may run into issues with lengths and may need to get additional equipment. However without really seeing a layout it's going to be hard to say for sure.

I would think the directv's first opportunity to ground the system is when they enter the garage (non-heated garage) 52 feet from the pole.

Not to say it cant happen with you install but i'll let you in on what i was told on my install..

The first installer left the job and never grounded the system at all... i called up Directv and questioned it and they sent out another installer.

The second guy came , looked at it and left.... so i got Ellen's office involved in my questioning it... They sent out there "supervising lead tech" the very next day.

This come comes out, goes over it and says "looks good to me"... so i questioned it with him. BTW this guy also stated that internet forums such as DBSTalk are filled with people that really don't know what there doing:bang... i disagree...

Then he preceded to claim that it is directv's policy that if the dish is more than 15ft from the point where the electric service is grounded it is "OK" to let the dish ungrounded.

Personally driving around town i have seen people with pole mounts that have installed a grounding rod right next to where the dish is located but i have no clue if that was done by Directv installer or on there own or if it would even pass QC to do that...

If the dish is mounted to a metal pole that is in the ground about 2 feet with some concrete around that to keep it from moving, isn't it self grounded ?
I am not an electrician, but this sounds logical to me.

If the dish is mounted to a metal pole that is in the ground about 2 feet with some concrete around that to keep it from moving, isn't it self grounded ?I am not an electrician, but this sounds logical to me.

Thanks

If the ground in contact with the pole stays wet, you have a good ground. I'm not trained in these matters, so do not rely on my opinion!

If the dish is mounted to a metal pole that is in the ground about 2 feet with some concrete around that to keep it from moving, isn't it self grounded ?I am not an electrician, but this sounds logical to me.

Thanks

If the pole were say 8 feet and you burried 2 feet naked and then had 2 feet in concrete to hold it together then it would work. In the majority of pole mounts very little if any of the pole is actually touching dirt.

The installer just left and he could not connect to my wireless network. He installed an HR-34 and 2 H25 receivers and has everything running but he said I could not access ON DEMAND or Pandora.

I have a Buffalo Airstation Wireless G router (the model is WHR-HP-G54). The installer was looking for a “WPS button” to push on the router and could not find one. There was only one button on the router to push and it did not work. I held the button in for a long time and I believe the installer did something on the HR-34 in an effort to connect the HR-34 to my wireless network.

I told the installer I have a 63 character wireless network passphrase consisting of 63 random numbers, upper case letters, and lower case letters. He did not think I could have a passphrase that long that would work with the HR-34.

The router is about 50 feet away from the HR-34. I just booted my laptop by sitting next to the HR-34 (50 feet from router) and I was able to connect to the Internet.

A few months ago I noticed my router’s antenna was broken at the base (I guess the router must have fallen off my desk and the antenna broke). Since the router was broken at the base, I just taped the antenna back on and everything has worked fine.
I just downloaded the User Manual for the Buffalo WHR-HP-G54 router and found out the button I was pushing was the AOSS button (AirStation One-Touch Security System). Too many security systems for me to figure out.

I am thinking the issue is my Buffalo router supports WEP security and perhaps it does not supprot WPS. From a google search:
WEP stands for: Wired Equivalent Privacy, Sometimes erroneously called "Wireless Encryption Protocol. WPS: Wi-Fi Protected Setup is a standard for easy and secure establishment of a wireless network.

Do I need a new router that has a WPS button (and fixes the broken antenna) or can I manually connect the HR-34 to my wireless network?

The installer said when I get the Internet to work call directv and request an upgrade. I believe the upgrade involves using something called a WiFi Deca to connect the HR-34 to my wireless network. Is there a charge for this upgrade or is it still part of my initial free installation? My internet works fine right now but not with the HR-34.

Also I have no idea if the Cinema Connection Kit was installed or if the HR-34 had to be able to access the wireless network before the kit could be installed. How can I tell if it is installed?

It should be possible toaccess the WDCCK’s internal configuration pageusing a browser pointing to its IP address, whichshould be obtainable through the router table. Ifthe WDCCK is unconfigured, a direct ethernetconnection (no crossover) should allow you toconnect at: http://169.254.1.100:8080. The defaultusername is “admin” and the password is “admin.”

You don't need a WPS supported router to use the WCCK. Just try running the wireless network setup on a receiver and connect as you would with a laptop. Find your router's SSID and try punching in your key. You may want to consider switching security protocols to WPA or WPA2 from WEP.

Having WPS only makes connecting to your router securely easier. It is not required.

The installer just left and he could not connect to my wireless network. He installed an HR-34 and 2 H25 receivers and has everything running but he said I could not access ON DEMAND or Pandora.

I have a Buffalo Airstation Wireless G router (the model is WHR-HP-G54). The installer was looking for a “WPS button” to push on the router and could not find one. There was only one button on the router to push and it did not work. I held the button in for a long time and I believe the installer did something on the HR-34 in an effort to connect the HR-34 to my wireless network.

I told the installer I have a 63 character wireless network passphrase consisting of 63 random numbers, upper case letters, and lower case letters. He did not think I could have a passphrase that long that would work with the HR-34.

Terry

First off having a 63 digit password is extreme and then having it on WEP negates it. WEP is a joke if someone wants your password they can get it easily enough.

If you can run a cable and are happy with the results that will be better than wireless. If not then change your encryption to WPA or WPA2 as recommended already and choose an 12-16 character password if you're really concerned about someone getting it. With that said your average password of 6-8 characters is fine. It's just internet service and most people won't even bother trying to get on locked networks when there are so many unsecured ones out there.

The installer never ran any new cable when he switched me from Comcast to DirecTV. The installer used the existing Comcast cable network in my house and just switched out Comcast equipment to DirecTV equipment.

I had a renter in my basement install DirecTV about 6 years ago. At that time the DirecTV installer put in a standard dish out near the street and ran Cat 6 from the dish over 110 feet into my utility room in the basement. Comcast came into the same utility room from the opposite end of my house and ran their own cable throughout the drop ceiling to several rooms (both in the basement and in the first floor above the basement) about 17 years ago. About 4 years ago when I bought a couple of HD TVs, a Comcast installer upgraded part of the Comcast cabling during his work in connecting cable to the new HD TVs.

On my new DirecTV installation, the installer replaced the old dish with a new dish and used the already installed Cat 6 line to reach the utility room. He then unhooked the 3 lines in the Comcast cable network running to the 3 TVs in my DirecTV installation order and connected them to a new DirecTV splitter. At this point his cabling work was finished (no new cable was needed). Everything seems to work OK.

Question: Are there any issues with the approach of the DirecTV installer using the installed Comcast cable network?

As long as the cabling between the PI and the dish is RG6, you're golden. For long runs, the RG6 needs to be solid copper as opposed to copper coated steel. Even at that, many installers still use CCS cable and it works.

Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought. -- JFK